2019 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner Jayson Stark
Jayson Stark's love of baseball translated into a career that took him all the way to Cooperstown.
The longtime scribe made a name for himself in his hometown of Philadelphia before gaining wider acclaim with national outlets.
The Philadelphia native and Syracuse University graduate began his sportswriting career with the Providence Journal (1975-78), where he occasionally covered the Red Sox, then moved closer to home, joining the Philadelphia Inquirer (1979-1999), where he worked the Phillies’ beat before evolving into a columnist.
By 2000, Stark had joined ESPN, where he not only wrote for their website but also appeared on the network. Debuting with The Athletic in 2018, he has also appeared on MLB Network.
“From the time I was nine years old, I didn’t want to be a baseball player; I wanted to be a writer, a sportswriter, a baseball writer," Stark said. "My mom was a great writer, June Stark, and she helped inspire me with the love of writing.
“I already had the love of sports.
“That’s what I dreamed of doing from the time I dreamed of doing anything. I’ve grown up devouring great sports writing and reading the great sportswriters of my lifetime."
